IDF chiefs impart their wishes for next defense minister. Improper interference in the political process?

A new factor has stepped uninvited into Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s struggle to save his government against Naftali Bennett’s claim of the defense portfolio: The IDF, or rather its chief of staff Lt. Gen. Gady Eisenkot. On Wednesday night, shortly after Avigdor Lieberman resigned as defense minister, the military establishment began preparing a public campaign to explain its perspective on the events that led to the highly unpopular Gaza ceasefire. This campaign was launched on Thursday morning, Nov. 15, and turned out to be way beyond the limits of an image-booster.

Anonymous “military sources” issued for publication certain comments that included a broadside against the government – and the security cabinet in particular – after “its bankrupt policy was revealed for all to see.” The cabinet was “useless,” and the ministers “incapable of determining the IDF’s goals in the Gaza Strip.” Reserves can’t be called up, said the military sources, without declaring war. The same unidentified military sources rated as “low” the level of the Hamas threat, and maintained that Hamas shuns a confrontation. And so, they said: “This was no time for a [major military] operation.” They advised capitalizing on Hamas’ “weakness” to press forward with the diplomatic process.
The sources complained that the IDF was being falsely presented as afraid to “go into the Gaza Strip” after Hamas fired nearly 500 missiles against Israel. There are less costly solutions than a ground operation, they said. “But first, the objectives must be determined, and “this the government is not doing.”

These comments were easily interpreted by political circles as dictates for the next defense minister and his conduct. There is no point in a military operation against Hamas, and the minister must therefore use the Palestinian terrorist group’s “weakness” to pursue a diplomatic accommodation. The military command implicitly disqualifies a priori the candidacy of the hawkish education minister, Naftali Bennett. If he is appointed nevertheless (otherwise the government may fall), he will end up in the same way as another hawk, Lieberman. The army chiefs are also against Housing Minister and former general, Yoav Galant, who two days earlier praised the security cabinet’s deliberations as “serious and profound.” The IDF elite evidently prefers to see the prime minister following in footsteps of many of his predecessors and taking the defense portfolio himself, because Netanyahu and Gen. Eisenkot see eye to eye on national security policy.

Although the army has in the past 70 years of Israel’s existence occasionally and indirectly made its wishes known, it has never before stuck its oar into a political process or the choice of a key cabinet minister so crudely. It may be said that Eisenkot is the most politically-oriented chief the IDF has ever had – just at the time when the country needs more than ever before a combative chief geared to operations.
Reality check: Thursday, Nov. 15, Iran’s military chief of staff Gen. Mohammad Baqeri praised Hamas: “The last victory in Gaza turned over a new leaf for the resistance,” he said. “The victories will continue until the Zionist entity ceases to exist. The Zionist enemy’s cotton dome has failed, and now it is more concerned about Iran’s arrival in occupied Palestine,” he asserted.

48 thoughts on “IDF chiefs impart their wishes for next defense minister. Improper interference in the political process?”

long ago the IDF and IAF should have smashed hamas dead. whatever replaced it who cares smash again if need be. use your power.

same with Hezbollah- and Syria- Israel should have taken out the S-300s as they arrived who cares what Putin will cry about. these missiles can take out a civilian airliner on purpose or by mistake fired from Syrian territory. for that reason alone they must go.

it is clear Israel is weak- if you have power and don’t use it then you are weak. this will now ensure Hamas Hezbollah and Iran will try harder to attack Jews worldwide. Netanyahu must resign and go home.

Russia is a clear devious enemy of Israel and always has been. Russian interference in the world is shocking. Israel should never have seen Netanyahu kiss Putin’s ass in Russia and should have watched the smelly Russian bear warily- it should have been crystal clear and hit the S-300s supplied to Syria as they landed. War has casualties that is why it is war.

Any S-300 used to fire on an IAF plane must be destroyed irrelevant of who mans the system. This is the time for men not boys.

If we don’t want the Syrians to shoot at our planes then we should just stop attacking their territory.

Who Syria requests assistance from is there own business, so if its Russia and Iran so be it.We launch 200+ attacks in a period of a year and then cry like little bit#hes when they finally receive a small weapons upgrade?

Maybe its time people started thinking rationally and treating people with respect. If Iran or Syria attacks us then we will have the support of the world on our side. If we continue to behave like gangsters then more and more people will see Israel is war mongers and hypocrites.

If we manage to destroy a few S300 sites then what? Well i’ll expect that Putin will do as he said and just increase the number deployed in the country as well as potentially provide the Syrians with the ability to strike back with iskander or some other weapons system.

Do we really want Russia as a enemy? The current rift will heal in a few years, but if we start killing Russian’s expect payback and a doubling down.

Many of my family members in the States no longer support Israel because of its racist policies. How many more Jew’s and American / Europeans will we lose if we continue to behave this way.

Trump is not going to be around forever to spend American money and spill American blood for us.

@Boaz
It pays hugely not be naive. The almost unrestricted weapons transferred to Hezbollah, active Iranian military sites in Syria, the renewed poise to attack and more accurate missiles in Gaza: who do you think they are all for? This mindset is what happens when you sit at your comfort infront of you TV watching CNN. Why not take the pains to visit Israel? I m not Jewish, not Israeli, but i so feel for these people, you should too. Just take a moment to imagine: your neighbors around that your small house are all pointing guns at you and your family, waiting for the slightest provocation to fire. what will you do? Really?

@Dont mess with Israel!!!!!
We all reap what we sow and when one behaves like a bunch of thugs evidently the whirlwind catches up with you and karma can be a very unforgiving

How would you behave if you are treated like an animal, your property stolen or damaged? Would you try to fight back or cower in your home like a scared little man.

We have passed legislation just a few months ago turning Israel into an apartheid state. I can see both sides of the argument and as i have lost friends in Israel to the senseless violence its not easy to take a principled view.

The problem is that i have visited Israel with my family many many times over the years and have lived in the settlements. When a child is raised to believe that your people are special and everyone else is nothing but animals one is able to get away with certain types of actions. However when a child is raised to believe that everyone is equal and they are taught that non-jews are animals and then see what is taking place this becomes untenable.

This is not how my children were raised and not how many are but their are always the religious extremes on both sides.

My suggestion is that you go live in the settlements for a few weeks and see the attitudes and what is taking place for your self. Unless you are there what you see in the media can be to easily screwed to fit a particular narrative.

It does not matter what you think. That land has been given by God to the children of Jacob and no one else. That land do not belong to the Arabs or what not they call themselves. Read your Bible or Torah. Nonsense apartheid talk.

I’m curious what you would have said when Chamberlain said: “Peace in our time.” I’m curious what you would have said when many Jewish citizens of Germany said that Hitler wasn’t a danger. I’m curious what you will say if Israel follows your advice and tens of thousands in Israel die when Iran and Hezbollah and Hamas and Islamic Jihad and the Al Aqsa Brigades etc etc attack. You’ll probably blame it on the Jewish people. You probably would have blamed the Jewish people for the Holocaust too. None are so blind and those who can’t see.

All you wrote , Israel cannot do , since it will invite respond from parties Israel never dealt before , and it would be best for Israel not to get involved with that outside rouge element . Lieberman is not government entity and so is Bennet and so is Netaniahu . In all Israeli Government is a banch of fat fools , that cannot understand its surrounding , and solely relies on Usa and its failed policies , that will and could bring the end of Israel .
Its time to look for new people , fresh views , and those that do not play games on the phones and ipads , like most of Israeli ministers and matkal are doing . Open your eyes Israel , you are totally blind .

Well said, Rafael. It has been agonizingly frustrating to watch ever since Russia deceived the world and slipped into Syria three years ago. OK, then the Muslim Hussein Obummer was still in power, but then continue this silk glove treatment of Russia after Trump took power nearly 2 years ago is truly insane.

To nip evil in the bud used to be Israel’s strong suit. No longer, evidently. It is a bit like before Yom Kippur in 1973, so many wanted to believe that Egypt would not attack because it was waiting for better Migs and that peace was better than war. Why exaggerate, hey? And look what happened.

Now the world and Israel has waited until Hamas has over 100 000 missiles and Hizbollah is up to its ears in equipment, including T 90s. Hello world, do you not read the news? And Israel does nothing. Why? What’s the deal? Wait for a big excuse to go to war which means that excuse could then take you out at the same time? None of the leftie-liberals in the US will pat Israel on the back for waiting for an excuse. It is both disconcerting and sickening. I know however one thing. God does not like it when Israel does not fight and take back the land He gave. Ariel Sharon pulled Israel out of Gaza and was hit by a stroke and went into a 7-year coma. Bibi is living dangerously, very dangerously. My instincts tell me that Hamas now thinks it has the initiative. Something is brewing.

I can understand the resignations, as well as Prime Minister Netanyahu Restraint of Power Patience, but although Hamas didn’t achieve a military victory. It still brought down the Defense Minister as a kind of David Hamas Victory of Tires, Balloons and Rockets over a Goliath Israeli Military because it shows that Hamas can shake Israel Politics at the Very Top of an Israeli Democracy. This can lead to worst things to come as Iran, Hezbollah, Putin, Syria, Khameini, Fatah, Assad, Russia, Abbas, Hamas, SinWar, Yemen, Mashal, Houthis and Palestinians start to do some coordinating rethinking. It was one thing to take upon one challenge, but to try and fight now on a dozen fronts and all 3 around Israel will be even tougher when that time comes and it is coming, no doubt about it.

– The deface minister has left, but he has far right.
– Lieberman likes Egyptian football, would kiss Mohamed Salah.
– Just when you thought Lieberman was gone he came up with his resignation.
– Putin knows now for sure that Pushkin was a descendant of Ethiopian Jews.
– Моссад не следовал нормальным процедурам

What rubbish general of idf. Smash the Gaza front now. What will the coward general do, when war breaks on both fronts simultaneously? (which seems most likely the case). If Gaza is smashed now, you deal with one one front later, which is better.

The second Israel paid protection money, Bibi signed every Jewish person’s death warrant in Israel. What exactly to you think every muslim enemy just thought when he took the cease fire and paid protection money?

They must be holding each other back to not finish Israel off TODAY. I think of the timing like their putting people in cages to watch them drown, those feral humans enjoy the death of their enemies…as I have learned to do as well. I’ve wasted SO MUCH TIME, trying to act “good” when I should have acted to protect myself and ruthlessly destroyed my enemies like all oligarchs do. Only god, who if he exists can forgive, he omnipotent, so can do so without risk. We ain’t omnipotent, as Israel will surely soon fatally show the world.

Bibi thinks everyone is already dead, so what does this kabuki theater of choosing a Defense Chief accomplish? It’s not like he’s gonna defend Israel.

Now you can REALLY understand the prayer thanking god you are a man each morning, cause as women, they will be like Yazidis passed around like smokes in a prison.

Enjoy, the world needs to see that we all can put down fairy tales designed to allow our rulers to lord over us. There will soon be no more chosen people in the “holy land.” Legalized insanity, soon to be proven so.

Look, silly fools, if you can’t even bring yourselves to cutting off the money supply, the water supply and the electricity to a terror entity firing 500 rockets at your civilians, then you have lost the battle. This was the perfect time to deal with Terrorstinians in Hamas before the Hezbollah barbarians, supported by Putin and Iran, attack from the north.

So you bring one sentence of so called IDF general and build all theory that its IDF fault…
BIBI is gone, all he care about is the trials on the way, he is probably the worst leader Israel ever had and this propaganda will not save him

Israel should demand that its Citizens be compensated for the damage done by Hamas Terrorists. The World sees that Bibi and his Ministers are afraid to defend Israel. Trump would have wiped out the terrorist nests if anyone dared fly balloon bombs or missiles across US borders!

Netanyahu and leadership of the IDF are chichenshit. Bombing empty buildings in Gaza is metaphor for the empty policies of these buffoons. Bombing Iran in Syria has not stopped the former at all. Now Israel’s enemies are under the protection of “Syrian” S300s. Why has the IAF stopping bombing in Syria? What happened to all that diplomatic currency that Netanyahu acquired by sucking up to Putin? Whether you like it or not Hamas has more brains that Netanyahu. Lieberman was correct, Israel has caved into terror. But you can’t blame Netanyahu for that, it all started with Oslo, and then with the savant Sharon.

In 1940 French army was bigger and stronger than the German one, but French had no will to fight. Result is known. ZAHAL is greatly overrated, and all its victories were achieved against enemy ineptly led, poorly trained, any time when ZAHAL was dealing with determined and professionally led adversary there were relatively high losses and prolonged heavy fighting, and oh yea “commission of inquiry”. Generals are looking for lucrative jobs in the israeli military industries and political appointments, they are not going risking the war to damage their prospects.

G-d forbid that Bibi becomes the defense minister as well as being the prime minister. With such a combination under his control, Israel will resemble more of a dictatorship than a democracy. We need a real general like Moshe Dayan to lead the country. Bibi has been in power for too long so that he takes everything for granted. Ever since the 1980s starting with Israel’s war in Lebanon, things have gone from bad to worse militarily. Lebanon was already a bad quagmire for the Lebanese and their civil war. Ever since, Israel has been losing every single war it has been involved with. The first priority should be getting rid of terrorism in Gaza since this is supposed to be the weakest front. Destroying their terrorist leaders would go a long way.

‘It may be said that Eisenkot is the most politically-oriented chief the IDF has ever had – just at the time when the country needs more than ever before a combative chief geared to operations.’ – this is no longer operationally possible, no longer operative and Debka needs to adapt

Reality check 11 15 18 Emergency election demands from all necessary and sufficient quarters, including the US, incoming Israeli indictments on Netanyahu near simultaneously with Muellers Logan Act Indictments of Netanyahu-Kushner encryption/conspiracy over UN 2334 and PsyGroup on Forest and Bear. Mossad and Private Mossads being outed and sued all over. Al Jazeera Israel Lobby in US Sting now gone viral

Netanyahu ordered it all – all the Mossad and Private Mossad Ops on Obama, Hillary, Cruz, Rhodes, etc, just like the cigars and pinks from Milchan and Mueller’s got him COLD. Then theres the defeated Clean Break Drive on Iran, the ICC coming for him, Sara’s trial and conviction, yada yada yada

The myth of the invincibility of the IOF was shattered in 2000 when they were sent running away in panic from Lebanon and during the 2006 war when the mighty Hizballah inflicted another humiliating defeat upon them. The generals are scared to death that is why they are bending over backwards to avoid confronting the resistance.

The IDF and the troops are very capable, it is the politicians who are afraid and always looking over their shoulders at world reaction. Israel must stop giving a damn about what a world that hates Israel and loves Islamic terrorists thinks.

They quiver in fear before the might of Hizballah. The lions of the resistance inflicted a crushing defeat upon the IOF in 2006 which once and for all shattered the myth of the invincibility of the IOF.

You have to be an animalistic maniac to be a member of Hezbollah or Hamas of Islamic Jihad

Yeah the great IOF that murders kids throwing rocks and bombs houses and hospitals from the air, yet fled in terror from Lebanon before the lions of Hizballah, and got their arses handed to them during the 2006 War.

The Messiah is coming! The gentiles will return to pure Judaism and worship like Jesus. No more worries from Allah! when Christians convert to Judaism! Prepare for the second coming of Jesus who is born from a virgin red heifer in a Jerusalem barn!